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Native American Beadwork

Native American artists are among the most skilled practitioners of beadwork, and this classic study — based on the extensive collections in the Heye Foundation's Museum of the American Indian — offers a well-illustrated look at the extraordinary variety of beadwork methods and their spectacular results.A much-admired genre of folk art, beadwork appears on not only clothing and other forms of personal adornment but also on ceremonial and everyday objects. The ample illustrations in this survey include photographs of decorated items: baskets and bowls, necklaces, robes, cradles, and other items, richly embellished in beads made from gold and precious stones, shells, and bone. In addition, numerous figures depict details of the stitchery techniques.Needleworkers, crafters, and aficionados of Native American culture will find much within these pages to excite their interest and enthusiasm.

Series: Native American

Paperback: 192 pages

Publisher: Dover Publications; 2nd edition (December 6, 2002)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0486424839

ISBN-13: 978-0486424835

Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.5 x 9.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

This is probably the most complete book on the history of beads in the Americas. Anyone interested in Native American beadwork will find that all the authors of books on the subject list this in their bibliographies - with good reason. I only wish there could have been more color photos - but I know this was strictly a matter of keeping the book affordable. Be aware that this book covers all Native Americans - not just those in North America.

Native American Beadwork is a reprint of Orchard's Native American beadwork technique book published in the early 20th century. It was one of the first books examining beadwork techniques in detail and is still one of the best. Orchard was a Native American museum curator, as was his son - this book is written from a base of authoritative knowledge and original investigative work. Many of the techniques were actually reconstructed from either disassembling or thread-tracing artifacts.I particularly like the coverage of woven beadwork. This is not your typical block or peyote stitch bead book, nor is it a project book. It is a an examination of Native American and trade beads, historical bead production techniques, and beading techniques. Most of the photos and all of the illustrations are in black & white, which is to be expected from a book dating from this period. The first 85 pages of the book cover bead history. Coverage of techniques is on pages 86 to 129 - all of which is descriptive and not instructional per se.This is not a photographic reprint. Rather, it is a full recreation of the original book. The text was re-entered, the photographs re-scanned, and the color plates were produced with modern techniques. Some of the color plates were re-shot using the original artifacts as the original plates could not be located. As a result, the quality is superb.This is a must-have book for anyone interested in Native American beading.

Note: Book first published in 1929 by the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation, in New York, N.Y.

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